Jack 20
by Nadie2
Summary: Jack O'Neill's clone finds himself not quite as happy with life in high school as he thought. His fellow students are really immature. But he happens to know one fourteen year old who wasn't so immature, and he does know where a time machine is...
1. Decision

Yes, I know they find the time machine a year after the clone was made, meaning the clone would never know about it, and not get to do this. But this story line was two fun to throw out. So, I'm declaring it AU. We're pretending the time machine was discovered at some point PRIOR to fragile balance.

October 2007

The first thing I do when the bell rang was head to the public library. I've lived in Colorado Springs for almost two decades, so I've been to it many times. But I've never hoofed it from the high school to the library on foot. Most of the walking I've done was either on another planet or on a hiking trail.

But actually, that wasn't me. That was just a guy with the same memories, and the same thoughts. But those thoughts and memories actually belonged to him. I sort of stole them, but it wasn't my fault. I didn't ask to be cloned. If I had I definitely would have went for a body that was older than fourteen.

That's why I have no driver's license, and no wheels. I have enough money to get a cab of course. The Air Force had set me up well as far as that went. But I didn't want to use that money. I don't have a plan yet, but I have a feeling that whatever plan I come up with is probably going to be something that wouldn't allow me to continue to use the apartment the Air Force had provided me with.

I've always hated computers. I catch myself…no…Jack O'Neill hated computers. I'm not Jack O'Neill anymore. I don't know who the hell I was. My birth certificate, social security card, and school records all proclaimed me to be Jonathan Brennan. It was Irish last name, just like my original one. But it means sorrow, and if there was any part of HIM that I wanted to leave behind it was the sorrow.

Anyway I wish they hadn't kept the first name. I wasn't Jack, even though it felt like I was, and I needed to separate myself from him more.

I sit down at the computer, thank goodness Carter taught me how to use the computer. I mean thank goodness Carter taught him to use the computer, and those memories got transferred to my mind.

Man I miss his team. And it kills me that they aren't mine, that they were never mine. That I've never really had a friend, or a family, and that I've really only existed for a couple days.

I grab one of the computers and type in, "human cloning."

After a half hour I'm pretty depressed. It's mostly about how being a clone is morally reprehensible, and a debate on whether or not they should have rights. Now I feel even sucker than I did before. Deal with it people, I'm here.

Suddenly I notice snickering, and turn. The library is apparently a cool hang out. And apparently I'm attracting some attention of some teenage girls.

"Hey," one of them says as all of them saunter up to me.

"Hi," I say as dismissively as possible hoping they'll leave.

"You're the new kid right?" the spokesperson says.

"Yep."

"So where did you move from?" she presses.

"Minnesota," I say.

"Wow, it's like cold up there isn't it?" she says.

"Well, it's no equator."

They all laugh, and one of the lackeys says, "He is funny, isn't he? So funny?"

And her friends nod in agreement, and make twittering comments.

Seriously? Do they think they are flirting right now? God this is awful. I'm supposed to put up with this for YEARS? So immature.

"Whatcha doing?" another asks peering at my computer, "He's looking up human cloning!" she explains.

Crap!

"You're doing homework after one day here? Wow, are you like a super nerd?"

Good, this might end the conversation, "Yep, super nerdy."

"Super nerds are hot," one says sitting down on the table in front of me and cross her legs in that too short dress. But she's right, at least a certain super nerd I know one that certainly hot. And that's the other thing. These girls are not hot. They're children. Maybe eventually they'll be old enough for me. But even when I'm twenty or thirty, I have a feeling that girls my age are going to be way too young for me.

"Look girls…" I start.

"He's taken" one of them proclaims. Yeah, let's go with that.

"Sure am," I say.

"Is she a Minnesotan?" a girl asks in a tone that clearly implies she thinks that is a disease of some kind.

"Yep, and she's way more super nerdy than me." Why is the image of Sam popping into my head? I'm talking about an imaginary Minnesotan.

"That's great!" one twitters.

"Some kind of loyalty," another sooths.

"Long distance relationship at fourteen, commitment," other says impressed.

"Right well I better get going," I say standing up.

"See you at school," they say.

Not likely, there is no way I can do this again. I hated it the first time. Now I'm older, and I'm going to have a whole bunch less tolerance for their high school crap.

I may be stuck in this body, but I'm not stuck here, or now.

The next day

"Hey Mac," I say. I know his name isn't Mac, and that's actually the point.

"Who are you?" he asks suspiciously. I know the code word, but I'm a kid, so he doesn't trust me automatically.

"I'm related to an old friend of yours Jack O'Neill," I inform him.

He squints at me, "You know Jack well?"

I nod.

"That man saved my life…more than once," he glances around the empty shop. Pretty sure if this guy didn't have an illegal document service he wouldn't make any money at all. "What do you need?"

"Birth certificate, social security card, the whole works," I say.

"Alright, what year we want on this?" he asks. I'm sure the guy thinks I want a fake ID to drink with. I'm sorry, if I wanted a fake ID I could get one without all the back paperwork.

"1966," I answer.

"Shit boy, no one is going to believe you are 37!" he explains, "You look, what thirteen?"

"Fourteen, and you telling me good 'ol Jack never asked you to do something you didn't understand?"

"Yeah but he's black ops, blacker than black."

"He told me what to do."

"But you're too young to…"

"I just…and he's trying to protect me."

"Yeah, ok…if I asked explanations from all of my clients I'd go broke. You might not be doing something legal, but if you're taking orders from Jack it's certain to be wholesome. What name do ya need on it?"

"Charles Neil." Ok, I said I wanted to leave the sorrow behind. But ever since I found out I wasn't me…er him it bothered me that Charlie wasn't mine. And I wanted a way to claim him, and I figure this is as good as any.

"All right Charlie birth place?"

Might as well tell the truth, "Chicago."

"Parents?"

Uh, this is a hard one. "Marge and Homer."

He raises his eyebrow, but types it in.

"What kinda background do you need?"

"Some school records I suppose. Immunizations if it isn't too much trouble," I say.

"Straight a's I suppose?"

"Grades don't really matter," I mutter.

"They do son, you ought to work hard at school. Open lots of doors for you. I'll throw in a couple of B's just to give you some motivation to work hard wherever you're going," he scolds.

Yeah, well school isn't really a part of my plans.

"Ok, look these over," he says sliding documents toward me. Good old Mac, he always comes through for me. Quality work, better than the Air Force's official documents.

"Great work Mac, I need one more thing. Can you trade all this money in for older money."

He flips through it, "Quality work, the serial numbers are all different, but I'm no fool," he says handing it back with a shake of his head.

"It's the real deal."

He flips the money by his nose, "smells real, big bill printed on a small one?" he asks.

"I wouldn't try to bamboozle you. I just need old money. Money before 1982."

"I suppose I won't get an answer as to why."

"Nope."

"Alright McFly, I think I can hook you up. But if you just tricked me into taking forged money so help me Jack will be paying for it."

"I'm sure he'd have no problem with it," and I'm uniquely qualified to proclaim that.

"How'd a kid get this much money anyway?" he says as he counts. Not many people can talk as they count.

"Inheritance," I mutter.

"You'd better use it well, whenever you're going."

"I think you might be a bit too smart for this job," I warn.

"Ah…I ain't asking question Marty. But…if you happen to be laying a bit on a super bowl in the 1980's any time soon I can add a couple bucks to the pile."

"You said Jack wouldn't send me out to do anything unethical."

"No I don't suppose you would, even if what I'm asking you to do is completely legal," and he smiles in a way that lets both of us know it was a test. A poorly concealed test.

Later that day

This part of the plan is going much easier than I thought it was. Well, I have had snuck onto a lot of bases, but the SGC has really good security. Security beefed up by my own attempts to sneak into the base.

But I know this base better than I know any other base I've ever worked on. It's the only one I've ever been second in command over..

But again I'm talking about him as if he was me. He isn't, and I need to get to the point where I stop having to remind myself of that all the time. I've never been on a military base before, and will probably never be on one again.

Getting into the actual building provides a bit more of a challenge, and I'm actually kind of glad for my smaller body. But eventually I find myself in the room where we keep the time machine. I know I'm safe now, and I take a breather, and almost call off the plan. It is a crazy plan, and a lot could go wrong. But I'm willing to take the risk, and not so willing to keep living this life.

I know it isn't mine. But there aren't that many people on earth that could fly this thing, and the Air Force isn't going to authorize a mission as long as Carter has a say in it.

Maybe she's right about the danger to the space time continuum. Maybe I'll step on a cricket and destroy the world. But I really don't think so. I don't think a single person has that much power. I step on crickets all the time, and I have yet to cause the destruction of the universe. What is so special and holy about the things that happened to happen? I think things could have gone better than they did. And you know what? This time they will.


	2. Greeting

1973-Daniel

"Hey," a teenager says sitting down next to me.

I look up at him, but I don't say anything; I know I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.

"What are you drawing?" he says looking at it.

I hold it out to him; that isn't exactly talking.

He laughs a bit when he sees it, "Of course! It's not drawing, it's Egyptian hieroglyphics."

I still don't say anything.

"Are you shy, or is this stranger danger?" he asks.

My eyes light up and look at him at the second part of his statement.

"Right, you're eight. Stay awesome Daniel!" he says ruffling my hair. Then he gets up off the floor. He moves strangely, like he is an old man even though he is actually a teen.

"Dr.'s Jackson," he says walking toward my parents.

"This exhibit isn't open to the public, young man," my father says not really looking up from his work. No surprise there, he never really looks up from his work.

"Right, I get that. But you are really going to have to step away from there right now. It's not stable," the teen says.

"You think you know more about Ancient Egypt building than I do?" Dad asks, taking a step toward the boy.

"No, but I do think I know more about engineering," the boy takes one step back.

Suddenly one of the ropes starts to give. The teenager grabs hold of my mom and throws her out of the way. She's flies against the wall, almost crying from the force of it. The boy's leg is caught under the rubble.

"Are you ok?" my dad asks the kid in shock.

"I'm pretty sure my leg is broken Dr. Jackson," he mumbles.

"How do you know name?"

"It's on the exhibit," the boy says. He may have fooled my parents, but I'm not fooled; I know that doesn't explain how he knew _my_ name.

My dad gets down next to him, and moves the rubble of his leg. Someone else has already gone for help. When my dad has pulled the teenager away from the rubble he looks at him, and says, "Thank you."

May 1982-"Charlie"

"Ma'am?" I ask. This was one of the major flaws in my plan. I've never seen a picture of Carter's mom, and so I wasn't sure if I could I would know her. But I really didn't have to worry about that, Carter really does look like her mother. Jacob had said that once, and I thought he was just trying to make his daughter feel better, but now I know it's the truth.

"Yes," she says.

"Do you need a ride?" I offer.

"You look much too young have a license. And I doubt you could drive with that broken leg."

Damn cast. They did know how to properly set a leg in the 1970s, right?

"Well, that's true; I suppose I was really just asking if you wanted someone to escort you to your house.

She laughs. The last time I heard a laugh like that it was Carter laughing at the fact that I am a teenager. I didn't know how much I missed Carter's laugh.

"I certainly don't need a child to escort me."

"It just looked like you were waiting for someone…" I hedge.

"My husband is a little late. I should probably just take a taxi home."

"No!" I say more forcefully than I meant to.

She gives me a reproachful look, and then takes a step forward to hail the cab.

I could tackle her, I suppose. But I just got this new name. I don't want to ruin it. Back in '82, I didn't know anyone who would make me fake papers with no questions asked. And it's not like I could try to go through the Air Force to get clean papers. Particularly after tackling a Colonel's wife.

"Sam needs you to pick her up from school!" I exclaim.

She looks at me, "You know my daughter?" she asks.

"Yeah, I have a couple of classes with her."

"You look her age."

"I am."

"Then you can't have classes with her."

Damn. I've read Carter's folder enough times, I don't know how I could have forgotten. I might have ruined the whole plan.

"I skipped two grades too."

She squints at me, "You think she would have mentioned another fourteen-year-old sophomore. Does she have a crush on you or something?" The blush that comes to my cheeks is genuine, but it also helps to serve my purpose.

"Ah, well that explains her not mentioning it. But what I don't understand is that my daughter sent you here to tell me she needs to be picked up?"

"Ok, that's a lie. It's just…I have dreams." Hey, if I'm hanging out in this time, I might as well declare myself as a prophet.

"What did you dream about?" she says obviously more crepted out.

"I…see the future. Sam was crying," I remember the face Carter made the time she remembered it. Definitely worth preventing. "And I saw in a flash. You leaving the airport, the taxi, the accident."

She turns to me, looking like she might believe me, "You saw me die?" Carter wears a cross when she's off duty, and I don't think she got that from Jacob.

"My mom called them visions," I mutter.

She looks at me, "They always come true?"

"Unless I stop it."

"Is there a time limit on them?"

I nod, "It's today."

"Ok, so one day without taxi cabs, but wait, you wanted me to ride a taxi cab with you."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't in the crash," I shrug.

She nods, "Ok, well I'll share a cab with a psychic teenager."

But the thing is, I'm not psychic, just a time traveler. And I don't actually know I'm going to protect her.

"Or maybe we could… avoid the cab?" I ask.

She nods, "I've had dreams that were more terrifying than real life, too."

I nod my head, "Yeah, I don't really want to be in a taxi right now."

"We'll take the bus," she says.

"Yeah, I'd better go home," I say.

"You want to come over? You might have just saved my life."

"Ah…I think I should probably not."

"Come now, I bet Sam would like to see you," she coaxes. I blush hard, because the idea of Carter's mother setting me up with a fourteen year old Carter is pretty shocking to the senses, but her mother take the blush as something other than it is.

"And I can see that you want to see her as well," she says with a grin. Then she practically grabs onto my hand and pulls me toward the bus station. Well, this wasn't exactly in the plan, but my plan was crazy enough that a little more crazy certainly isn't going to hurt anything.

A half hour later-Sam

"Sammy, you'll never guess what I brought you!" Mom exclaims in a voice that makes me worry I might not exactly want what she peddling. Probably something girly, like make-up or skirts.

"Mom you didn't have to get me anything on the trip," I say but standing next to my mom is a boy about my age. A cute boy about my age. And I just implied he was a present. Awkward.

Mom is grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Who is that?" I ask.

Mom looks from one to the other of us, "It's Charlie," she says like I am dense.

"Ok…and why did you bring me a boy as a present?" I blurt out. Jeez, it was supposed to sound all sarcastic, and self defecating, and make for my stupidity earlier, but I failed.

"He's Ch…ar…lie," Mom repeats slowly.

"Alright, and who exactly is Charlie?" she asks as the boy in question turns red.

"He goes to your school, I thought you…" Mrs. O'Neill's eyes go wide, "Ah, you may not have noticed him, but he has a couple of classes with you." Why do I get the feeling my mom just brought back my own private stalker?

"Ok, so why did you bring him home?" she asks.

"Well, he saved my life," she proclaims.

I run over to her looking for any obvious wounds, "What's wrong? What happened? Are you alright? Is that why he's wearing a caste? Did he get hurt saving you?

"I'm quite fine," mom assures me. And then she spills the whole story. Saying he saved mom's life is overstating the matter by quite a bit. I'm thinking more like strangest first date ever.

"Offer the boy a cookie," Mom says nudging me in a shameless attempt at match making.

"Mom," I scold, but I hand the boy a cookie. And not one of the misshapen ones you usually eat before they're cooled, I give him one of the perfect ones. Then I grab him some milk.

"So we're in classes together?" I ask.

"Yeah, English, and history," he says absently.

I try to picture him in either of those classes but fail, so I pretend like I can with a head nod. "So, how old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Seriously? We've got to be the two youngest kids in the school let alone the tenth grade. I don't know why we haven't been hanging out together all year."

"Actually I just moved here a few months ago," he stammers on.

"Right, well that explains it, still we should study together."

"Ah, sounds great," he says.

"Or you could actually spend ten minutes of your life doing something fun!" mom explains.

"Studying is fun," he blurts out.

Seriously? That comment gets a grin, and another cookie that I slide onto his plate.

"You going to eat a cookie?" he asks.

"Yep," I say sliding two misshaped cookies onto a plate, "and you're going to tell me about your psychic powers."

"More like visions," mom offers with a shrug, like it's a totally normal thing.

"Mom believes in visions, and miracles, and soul mates. I'm more of a scientific mind," I might as well tell him right off the bat that I'm not buying from a snake oil salesmen.

"Sometimes science and spiritual matters are not as far apart as you think," he says. I make a face that lets him know what I think about that. "I just mean… miracles are what we call things that we don't understand… until we understand them. They used to think that gravity was spiritual. Now we can describe it with a chemical equation. Maybe, we'll be able to explain soul mates with a chemical equation someday."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"The Chinese have this myth, about the invisible red string that connects all of our lives. Pulls on us. Maybe there is one, and someday science will discover it," he offers with a shrug.

"If it's invisible how can it be red?" I ask taking a bite out of my cookie.

"If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" he counters.

"Finally someone smart enough to hold a conversation with my daughter!" Mom exclaims wheeling her luggage out of the room.

"The tree and color metaphor is a little flawed though," I mutter.

"Right, because color is reflected light, whereas sound waves just require air. So without light there really isn't color, whereas there is still sound even when there is no ear," he glibly replies.

I grin at him, "You're smart Charlie."

"Don't go spreading that around," he mutters.

"Fourteen year old junior would be a dead giveaway," I say.

"These are really good cookies," he tells me. Ok, so the boy isn't comfortable with praise. Noted.

"Thanks, my mom's recipe," I mutter. "Want to…study after?"

"Sure, but I don't have my books."

"That's ok, we can share."


	3. Rescue

The next morning - Charlie

"Charles?" a voice rudely interrupts my REM sleep by calling out. I don't know who the hell is calling me my dead son's name, but I'm pretty annoyed.

"What?" I ask.

"Are you sleeping on a park bench?" It's Carter's voice. Why is Carter waking me up, and am I on a park bench?

Shit. Time travel. Cloning. I'm not who I thought I was. And I am sleeping on a park bench. After I left Carter's house last night I didn't have time to find an apartment.

Ok, you might think I'm crazy worrying about time when I have a time machine. But I stashed that somewhere I know the SGC will find it at just about the same time they would have got it if I hadn't messed with the time line. While I'm definitely planning on making a couple of changes to the time line I'm trying to make as little impact as I can.

I sit up, "Naw, just went for a morning ah…crutch? But it got to be too much work so I thought I'd lay down for a morning nap."

"Right, so you want me to believe you went for a walk, and then nap, with two bags full of stuff all before school?"

"Ah…I'm probably not going to school today," I confess.

She sits down on the park bench next to me. A really adorable golden retriever (I thought Carter was a CAT person) sits down next to her. Well, that explains what she was doing in the park this early in the morning, because based on the light coming through the trees it is still pretty early in the morning.

"Can you explain to me why a genius fourteen year old is thinking of skipping school?"

"I thought I'd get my GED, move on to other things. No use wasting my time learning from people who aren't as smart as I am," I mutter trying to come off as conceited. Instead I sound insecure; oh well, I can work with that as well.

"You can't get your GED yet, you're too young, and does this rush to get done with school have anything to do with the fact that you're homeless?"

"I've got a fake ID," really fake, "And, I'm not homeless. Just trying to reconnect with nature."

"Charlie," she says in a slight reproachful tone.

I didn't plan on her catching me in my homeless state. In fact, I thought I could go months before she figured out that I didn't have parents, but it is what it is. I have to use the cover story earlier than I intended. "My mom kicked me out."

"What?"

"My dad died back when I was young, and since then I've had a string of stepfathers, and close to stepfathers. And the last one and I did not get along. Actually, I haven't gotten along with any of them. But really not with the last one. He was not good to her. And I tried to stand up for her, and she told me to get out."

"Oh my God Charlie, that's awful! And you're out here with a broken leg. You have to come back to the house right now. You're staying with us."

"No, that's really generous and everything, but I'm going to be fine. When my grandma died she left me a good chunk of money, and I've kept it away from my mom and her men all these years. I can afford a place, I just need to find one. I mean, I am going to have to get a job. But I'm not broke."

"Still, you're going to come stay with us. You're too young to be out on your own."

I laugh, "I am not too young, Carter."

"I know you've probably been taking care of yourself for a long time. But still, you still need someone to be there for you. Someone to take care of you. To help you with stuff."

"I appreciate it Sam, but I'm really going to be fine on my own."

She sighs, "You're a stubborn man, Charlie, but at the very least you have to let my parents be the person who looks out for you, who makes sure you're ok. And if you haven't found an apartment by tonight you're going to come and sleep on our couch."

"Ok," I mutter.

"And I think you should finish school."

"I want to get started on college. I've actually wanted to go to school to be an engineer for a long time."

"You've wanted something for a long time already? I'm barely old enough to want something."

"Ah…you already want to be an astronaut. And you will be, the best astronaut ever."

She gives me a sideways glance, and I can see she's absorbing the information. I suddenly panic, Carter did say she wanted to be an astronaut right? I didn't just change the space time continuum to screw over the planet did I? She did want to be an astronaut before she joined the Air Force, right?

"Or maybe a scientist, or a soldier, or all three."

"Not all three, I don't want to work that hard," she objects.

"But you love work Carter," I tell her.

This is a very different Carter than the one he knew.

"Anyway, you should come to school today, and the house after."

"I'll be apartment shopping today. There's only a few weeks left of the school year, anyway. Hopefully when I go back I'll be in college."

"Are you sure you want to rush through it? I mean miss prom, graduation, the high school experience?"

"I really don't think I'm missing much. The good stuff…it all happens after college. And I don't know, I was sort of hoping I could still experience bits of the whole high school thing through my friends."

"You're asking me to share my high school experience with you, Charles?"

"If you don't mind, Carter."

She tilts her head at me, "Carter? Don't call me that. Geez it's like one you're one of the guys working for my dad. They all call him 'Carter' or 'Colonel',"

"But you will be Colonel Carter one day, and then General, and your dad is going to make General too."

"You're not really a prophet for telling me my dad is going to make General, I already knew that."

"Right…he made General not long after your…" I finch. One day in and I've already screwed up and talked about the future as if it was the past.

"Vision?" she asks.

"You don't believe in them."

"Right," she says tentatively. She's starting to believe in my visions. I didn't see that coming. Of course I'm still going to tell her the truth eventually. But…not until she'll believe time travel. And visions might be easier for her to swallow right now.

"So let's get you to school," she says standing up.

"I'm going to look for an apartment," I say looking away.

"You really have enough money?"

I nod.

"Ok, if you don't find a place today, and you probably won't, you have to stay at my house. Promise?" she says narrowing her eyes at me.

I shrug.

"You're not going to sleep on a park bench."

That night, slightly after sunset - Charlie

"Charles I-wish-I-knew-your-middle-and-last-name, get your ass off that bench!" Carter's voice screams at me.

"Carter, you swear?" I ask in surprise. The older Carter's version of a swear word is 'Holy Hannah'.

"My name is Sam, or Samantha not Carter. And yes, I swear when people lie to me."

"Uh! I did not lie," I say putting up a finger, "I found an apartment."

"Must be pretty shitty if the park bench is preferable."

"No, it's actually quite nice, but I can't move in until the first of the month."

"Charlie that is THREE weeks away. Were you really planning on sleeping on a park bench for three weeks?" she asks in horror.

"I bought an umbrella in case it rains," I offer holding it comically over my cast.

She knocks the umbrella out of my hand, "Charlie, come home." She says it casually as if I actually share a home with Carter. That's a startling concept.

Carter didn't want Jack, so there's really no reason that Sam would want Charlie.

"I don't have a home," I mutter. I haven't had a home since my son died. Strike that, I've never had a son, so I've never had a home.

"You do now, Charlie. My parents said you could stay as long as you want."

"I can't imagine the Colonel being pleased with his fourteen-year-old daughter inviting a fourteen-year-old boy to sleep in her house."

She raises her eyebrows, "Does he have a reason to worry?"

"Hell no, Carter, you're safe, just don't know why he thinks you're so safe."

"Because I said so, and he's defiantly going to have an ear trained on you."

I nod. "I'll find someplace to sleep."

"Charlie, you need someone, you're too young to be alone."

"I'm an old soul Samantha," I say, "I can take care of myself."

"Says the boy who slept on the park bench for the last two nights."

"Tonight's barely started," I mutter.

"Right, so come."

I am so not going to win this one. "Alright, I'm coming."

"So how did you hurt your leg?" she asks shouldering one of my back packs before I can stop her.

"A museum," I say with a sigh.

She raises an eyebrow.

"Hey, those Egyptian exhibits are dangerous things, that, ah… Ra guy is pretty gruesome."

"Your telling me an Egyptian sun god broke your leg?"

"Well, he's actually not responsible for this particular injury. But just remember that the guy is a slime ball, 'kay?"

"Just in case I ever run into him?" she says, laughing.

"Yeah, just in case."

At the same time - Jacob

One of the first things I always like to do when I come home from work is change out of my uniform. I like to keep the rolls of "Colonel" and "father" as separate as possible. Then Sam tells me about some homeless vagabond genius. I know we have to take him in, I mean the kid doesn't have any parents. But he's a boy. So I'm putting back on the Colonel uniform.

Some of my friends go so far as cleaning their guns when they talk to the boys that their daughters are dating. But this boy is smart, and that's pulling the bluff too far. I mean he knows that I'm not actually going to shoot him and go to jail for it. How many fathers do, out of all those who threaten?

No, it's better to let the threat sit on their subconscious so they don't process it enough to realize that it's empty.

I thought I'd have a few years before my little Sammy starts dating.

"Really, Jacob?" Dorothy scolds as she straightens my tie.

"She's my little girl," I protest.

"She's smart enough, and strong enough to take care of herself. And Sam really isn't thinking about dating."

"He is."

"And just how do you know that?"

"He's a fourteen-year-old boy."

She makes a disgusted face, and gives me a glare, "Jacob Carter, so help me you are not going to do anything to scare this little boy back onto the street. Do you understand that this child is as smart as your kids, and he's thinking of dropping out of school at fourteen. Do you get that he spent last night, and goodness knows how long before that living on a park bench with a broken leg? A broken leg that he got goodness knows how, possibly when he stopped his mom from being beaten by an asshole boyfriend. You are going to be nice to this boy. You're going to be nice to this boy so you don't scare him away from the help he desperately needs!"

"I still think we should call social services, this is too big for us to deal with," I protest.

"We do that, and the kid will take off and go to another town. We have to help him Jacob!" she protests.

"Alright, I'll be nice," I say with a sigh.


	4. Forgiveness

Charlie-a few minutes later

"Sir," I say nervously.

"Charlie," he says critically sizing me up.

"I didn't want to come," I stammer feeling like it's my first day of boot camp. Damn, I hope I'm not acting like a soldier.

And suddenly General Carter turns into Jacob. Jacob, my friend. Jacob the closest thing to family I've had in a long time.

"We wouldn't want you to be homeless, son," Jacob says honestly.

"Don't be calling him son quite yet," a cynical boy a few years younger than Sam says.

Mark sounds just like his dad. "Mark," I say with a smile.

"How did you know my name?" he asks.

"Sam mentioned it."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't," she says.

"Visions," Mrs. Carter offers with a shrug.

"You get them confused with everyday life?" Sam asks sounding concerned.

"Well, I bet you don't always remember where you heard something," I offer with a shrug.

"How long have you been living by yourself?" Mrs. Carter asks kindly.

"'Coupla days. And I got a place. I just can't move in for a couple of weeks."

"Sorry that the best we have to offer you is a couch," Jacob says.

"It's fine, Sir," I say. I can tell my military carry is setting off bells and whistles in his head. Which is ridiculous, because Jacob is a lot more than just an officer to me. I shouldn't be going back into cadet mode.

"Better than a park bench," Sam says setting down the bags she INSISTED on carrying. Seriously? Did she realize how emasculating that is? But if I didn't let her do it would be just as emasculating to her. I mean, that probably isn't the right word, but I don't know of a better one. And it is actually really hard to carry bags when you are on crutches.

"I really was fine, last night wasn't the worse night's sleep I've ever had," I say before I think.

Then Mrs. Carter is hugging me, and I remember….to them I'm a kid.

Sam-later that night

"Charlie! Noooo!" The scream makes me sit bolt upright. I'm halfway down the hallway by the time it occurs to me how weird this is. Why is a homeless teenager screaming his own name?

"Charlie!" I exclaim as I stand on the edge of the living room. My feet carefully still in the hallway carpet. All the way down the hallway it didn't occur to me what was happening, but now that I am almost here I realize that I am running toward a boy in the middle of the night.

Charlie sits bolt upright. He scrubs his face with his hands. "Carter?"

"Yeah, you ok?" I ask walking into the room, and sitting down across from him. I was stupid to be afraid of him. He's a kid, just like me.

"Yeah, fine. Sorry if I woke you," he says looking embarrassed.

"It's ok, bad dream?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says with a sad laugh.

"Charlie, you named after anyone?" I ask.

He squints at me, "No, why?"

"In your dream…."

"Geez, I was screaming his name?" he asks.

I nod my head, pulling my legs up under me. It's pretty cold, and I know this discussion is going to be longer than I first thought. "Your dad?" I ask.

"Dad? No. Son," he says tossing me one of the blankets which I gratefully put over my legs.

I'm about to laugh, but he is shockingly serious about it. "Visions?" I ask.

"He dies, Carter," he mutters.

"What?" I say in a shaky voice rather shocked.

"I'm going to try to save him of course, but that doesn't change the fact that I remember it," he taps his forehead, "in all of its gorey detail."

"You remember Mom's death?" I ask.

He nods.

"You…know whenever someone dies?" I ask wondering how many shocking memories he has in his head. Fake or not, it's got to be awful, and I'm becoming less and less sure that it really is fake.

"Not everyone, just people that would someday become important to me," he mutters.

I pause, wondering if I should ask the question that is on the tip of my tongue. "Charlie's mother?"

"I won't be with Charlie's mother this time around," he mutters, and there is a bit of bitterness in his tone.

"Because?" I prompt.

"Because she left me when I needed someone most. And I don't like being alone."

But he seemed to be pretty much alone as of a few days ago.

"Won't that make Charlie never exist?" I ask gently.

"No," he says, with certainly. I'll leave it at that. I don't even know if I believe in his visions. I certainly don't know how they work if they are real.

"I'm not the one who left, am I?" I ask with fear in my voice.

He looks at me for a long time, "Naw, Carter, you ain't the leaving kind." Then he thinks for awhile, "Well, maybe you are, but when you leave a guy, it's always someone who deserved it for a VERY long time."

"I date a lot of guys?" I ask him.

He smiles, "A few. Mostly stalkers, the occasional alien."

I toss a pillow at him.

"Oh, if only I was joking, Samantha," he says.

"Who do I end up with?" I ask him locking his eyes.

"I don't know everything, Carter," he says.

"What the hell is going on?" Dad says bursting into the room and flicking the light on.

"He had a nightmare dad," I say dismissively.

"That is not a reason that you two should be sitting in the dark at one am!" he shouts.

"Sir, I assure you nothing is going on. She just came to comfort me, because I was screaming in my sleep. I'm sorry, Sir, I'll try not to do that again," Charlie says with some shame in his voice.

"Hey, stop apologizing, we did nothing! Dad there is a whole room separating us!" I protest. Charlie sounds like one of my dad's scared recruits.

"It's after midnight," Dad says.

"Sir, I think I can fix this," Charlie says standing up.

"I doubt it," Dad grumbles.

"Sir I promise not to sleep with your daughter, at least until she's an adult."

Dad and I both turn to him with our mouths hanging open.

"That's at the root of your objection right?" he asks.

Dad recovers a bit, "How about you promise not to sleep with my daughter EVER!"

"Forever is an awful long time. I don't feel like I can make a promise that long, and be sure I'll keep it. I can be sure I'm not going to sleep with Sam until she's grown up. I don't intend to sleep with anyone until I'm grown up."

Dad narrows his eyes at Charlie, "Twenty-five and married," he growls.

"Eighteen and married," Charlie counters.

Dad considers for a long moment, before extending his hand.

"How many goats am I worth?" I ask.

Charlie turns to me, "Doesn't mean we're actually going to marry, or even date. Just that we certainly won't be having sex until we are married. Whether we are ever together is totally up to you," he says. But when he looks at me, I realize. He loves me. And he knows me a hell of a lot better than I know him. And I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that.

It's either romantic, or creepy, or both.

"It's a school night," Dad says, and then he walks out of the room. He leaves us alone in the living room in the middle of the night. What the hell is going on? Dad never trusts anyone, and Charles has him wrapped around his finger!

"What is your last name?" I ask before I can stop myself.

"Neil."

Samantha Neil. It pops into my head without trying.

He grins, "I know what you're thinking."

"You read minds do you, psychic?" I ask a little nervously.

"Nope, but Cassie gave me a pretty good insight into the female mind. And the way the female mind likes to try words together," he says with a grin that convinces me he actually does know what I was thinking.

"Cassie is Charlie's mom?" I ask.

He laughs, "No, she's a little girl you're going to seriously consider adopting someday."

"Why don't I?"

"I don't know, you might this time. Things are different now that I saved your mother," he pauses again, "Then again, I intend to change things enough that Cassie isn't going to need adopting.

I bite my lip, "Mom really would have died?" I ask, and I feel like I am starting to believe.

"It's a school night, Carter, for you at least," Charlie says lying down on the couch, and closing his eyes.

"Goodnight Charlie," I say getting up, slowly, and reluctantly. I drape the blanket he threw me over him, and shut off the light.

"You do know Carter, that you are one of this nations national resources, right?" he says.

I go to bed feeling all warm inside. Charlie Neil is strange, but sweet.


	5. Family

Charlie-the next morning

I figure if I'm forced to accept the Carters' hospitality I might as well do something. So I get up at 0600 and make them breakfast.

"You're going to school?" Sam asks nervously over the meal.

"Ah…sorta."

"What does that mean?" Mrs. Carter asks narrowing her eyes at me.

"I mean…I'll probably try to stop by an adult learning center or something after I get a job."

"You have to go to school until your sixteen," Jacob says in his best General voice (even though he isn't actually a General yet), "It's the law."

"High school sucks. I'm getting my GED," I explain.

"You need to be sixteen for that," Jacob says.

"Fake ID," Sam coughs.

"Ok, so I'll be taking your fake ID, and they dropping you off at school," Mrs. Carter says.

Good thing I also got a birth certificate, I think to myself as I try to looked crushed.

It's sort of nice to be parented. You know fussed over. Sara did it now and then, but only when I was sick. My mom wasn't really the motherly type. She was all about keeping up with the Jones. Until my dad died, and then she was all about men.

But actually that wasn't my mom, it was his. I don't really have a mom, just a DNA source, or whatever you want to call him. And technically no one's ever mothered me, and it's really nice to be mothered. She quizzes us on the drive for our history class. She gives Sam a kiss, and me a hair ruffle as she drops us off. She did secure my fake ID, and is keeping it in her purse.

And I also notice that she doesn't drive away until she's watched me enter the school. But the school has more than one door.

"Where are you going?" Sam asks me.

I shrug.

"I think I'll walk you to first period," she says.

"Carter," I protest.

She looks at me, "So no intent to go to school?"

"Carter," I say.

"My parents are trying with you," she snaps.

"I know, and I appreciate it. I really appreciate it. But I have to do it this way," I say.

"I'm not going to lie for you, Charlie."

"Good," I say. I'm halfway out the door before I hear her saying, "Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we…you know what never mind," she says blushing red.

I walk back to stand right in front of her, "We're not dating. Yet. Fourteen year olds relationships are not long lived. If we're ever together, it's going to last longer than a couple of months."

She grins.

"I'll see you later."

"Tonight?" she asks.

"I don't know if your parents are going to let me come back after skip school."

"Jesus, Charlie, how long has it been since someone loved you?" she asks.

Good question, Carter, good question.

Sam-that afternoon

"Where's Charlie?" Mom asks cheerfully as she looks around the crowd of kids.

I don't say anything. I told him I wasn't going to lie for him, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have to be in a rush to rat him out.

"He left school?" she sounds worried. She doesn't sound mad, she just sounds scared. That's way worse.

I nod.

"You know where he is?"

"I'm guessing looking for a job."

"Where?" she asks.

"I don't know," I admit. Damn it, why didn't I ask him that?

"Do you think he's planning on sleeping in the same park bench, or are we going to be driving all around town for him?" she asks with a sigh.

"I think he's coming home."

She raises an eyebrow at me.

"I told him…you know he's not used to forgiveness, and rules, and…"

"Someone parenting him?" she asks putting the car into gear.

"Yeah," I mutter, "I think if you let him stick around he'll…get better.

"Sammy, you and him?" she asks looking over at me critically as she switches lanes.

"Friends," I offer.

"'Kay," she says, and her shoulders look ever so relieved. I'm not sure what that means, but I don't think I like it.

Charlie-That night

I can't believe I'm knocking on the door. I just disobeyed people who are so not my parents, and I so don't need parents, and I'm coming home. And it feels like home. The last time it felt like home was…no that was his wife, and his son. I'm starting over.

Mrs. Carter opens the door. She stares at me for a second, and I can't tell what she's thinking.

"Sam, said…I don't know I thought you'd still want me to come back, but I totally understand," I stammer taking a couple steps back.

She pulls me into a hug, "Charlie, you can always come back. But don't you ever," she pulls back, and smacks me lightly, "ever do that again!"

"Mrs. Carter, I'm sorry, I didn't go to school, but I got a job." I actually found the perfect job: a night watchman. I know enough about security it would have been easy, and I could have studied all night once I get into college. I want to get an engineering degree this time around, and I want the degree as quickly as possible. But I didn't take the perfect job, because I knew the Carters would FREAK at the idea of me working all night. So I got a job working at a bookstore, at what they'd consider a decent time.

"You really do need an education. It might not seem that important now, but you have to think about your future."

I take the GED book out of the bag, "I talked to the lady at the adult learning center. There is a test this Saturday," I say. What the hell? I actually want her to approve this plan. Why? It's a good plan. It will still be a good plan whether or not she approves it.

I guess more than my body is a teenager.

She sighs, "Charlie, you shouldn't be in such a hurry to grow up. All that happens after you grow up is that you're old. Come on, I'll help you study. I don't think you have a concept of how soon Saturday is."

Jacob walks into the room, "Charlie's home?" he asks giving me a investigative, but not unkind look.

"Yes," Mrs. Carter says.

"He need a talking to or are we going gentle?" he asks.

"Heat up a plate of leftovers," she says in answer to his question.

"I actually already ate," I offer.

"You're going to eat again," Jacob informs me. And you know what? I did. Damned adolescent body.

Sam-the next afternoon

Mom's been quizzing Charlie on his GED materials ever since I got home from school, and I'm guessing a long time before that.

"So can I drop out of school and get my GED?" I ask.

"Not a chance missy," Dad says.

"You let Charlie do it," I protest.

"We didn't **let** Charlie do it. And it's a totally different situation," Mom says.

Charlie grins at me.

"Samantha, don't you have a science test tomorrow?" he asks.

I nod my head.

"Need me to quiz you?" Dad asks sounding a little befuddled. I don't think dad's ever actually ever helped Mark or I with our homework. That was a strictly mom job.

"I got it," I mutter.

"Right, it's physics, she could do physics in her sleep," Charlie says.

"You like physics?" Mom asks.

Charlie turns to me with a shocked expression.

"I don't know, I like all science," I mutter.

"You're…not what I expected Carter," he says, and I wonder who exactly he is comparing me to. Someone from a vision? Some other form of myself? Am I disappointing him? Will I ever be who he thinks I am?


	6. Friends

Charlie-a few weeks later

It's my first night in my new apartment. I thought I'd be relieved to be back on my own. I mean, most of my memories, even if they aren't actually mine, involve me living on my own, but it actually kind of sucks, at least when I have such a recent memory of the wonder of family to compare it to.

I took the day off work, and bought some furniture, and dishes and stuff. It almost tapped out my sayings, but I'm making enough at my job that I'll have some more saved soon. I'm seriously considering betting on some hockey games, though. I know it's not exactly what you'd call ethical, and there are a lot of movies which suggest it would end badly. But seriously, we don't live in a movie, and I would get that much. Just enough to cover me when I start college next fall.

I passed my GED. The Carters were all in a frenzy like I'd done something truly impressive. But seriously, I should hope I can pass a high school test. I registered for my SAT's at the same time I arranged to take my GED, but I still have a few weeks before that takes place. Once I get into college I'm going to take a few more tests, and CLEP some classes, after all I took most of the general education classes already. But my actual college degree is going to be very different this time. I'm going to be an engineer. I know, sorta sciency, and you know how I feel about scientists, but not really, because that was him. And he was full of crap. He never hated scientists, in fact at least half the people he's ever loved were scientists.

This time I'm not going to live the military life. I did it or at least he did. I gave my country thirty years. So, I'm going to be an engineer, and understand what the hell Carter says when she talks. But I'm not going to be an engineer working on Stargates and partial accelerators and other things you'd hear about in a science fiction movie. I'm going to lead a normal life and invent cell phones or microwaves or whatever they didn't have back in the 1980's.

The doorbell rings. I'd kind of given up on the furniture people delivering my stuff tonight, and am relieved that they are here. Not that I couldn't sleep on the floor for one night.

"Charlie!" Jacob's voice explains as he barges into the house.

"Ah, hi, Sir" I say.

"It's a housewarming party," Sam explains a little bashfully as her brother and mother walk past me into the house.

"Where is your stuff?"Jacob demands, looking around.

"Ah…they're supposed to be delivering it," I explain.

"Well, you'll come home after the party," Mrs. Carter explains, "does he have plates? I should have thought to bring plates."

"There in the cupboard, and what exactly do you need plates for?" I ask.

"The lasagna, and the cake," Mrs. Carter responds as if it was totally normal for people to burst into your house, and start feeding you food.

"I actually already had super," I explain.

"Pizza, he ordered pizza," Jacob says from inside my fridge. The he turns a bottle to read the label.

"Jeez, it's root beer," I say with an eye roll.

"Well, you have been known to carry a fake ID," he says with a shrug after confirming that I was telling the truth.

"Sammy, set the…" Mrs. Carter shrugs, "Set the floor Sammy."

"We brought you a present," Mark proclaims handing me a long thin package.

"In hindsight we should have gone with a mattress," Jacob mutters.

"It's COMING people," I say in frustration.

"Open it," Sam prompts nudging me.

I open the box, and my heart stops, because it's a telescope. Sam and I did a lot of stargazing together in the weeks that I lived with the Carters. Sam actually doesn't know that much about space, or physics…yet. She isn't anything like what I'd expected Sam to be like at fourteen. She's so much better. She's so open, and so soft, and girly. I mean she's in shirts all the time. When I really think about it Carter wore skirts pretty much every time I saw her out of uniform.

It's just that I didn't see Sam out of uniform that often. Damn shame.

"I can't…it's way too much," I mutter. The telescope is good. Not as good as the one Jack had at his house in the future, but good. More money than people should drop on a teenager they barely know.

"We're not taking no for an answer," Jacob says firmly.

"We want you to have it," Mrs. Carter says in such a way that you feel like you're doing her a favor by letting her help you.

"You know so much about the stars, and we just wanted to make sure you keep learning," Sam says.

"Trust me, I intend learning to be my main occupation for years to come," I say with a smile. "This is beyond nice, guys," I say, because I've already figured out that I'm not going to be able to refuse it. Nor, let's be honest, do I want to.

"And you'd better come over for Sunday dinners, every day if you intend to eat nothing but pizza."

I grin, "I can cook, alright? I just wanted a little junk food on first night on my own. If I come over for dinner it won't be because I'm hungry, it will be because I want to see you guys."

"Alright, supper is served," Jacob says with a grand jester to the kitchen floor where he has set a place setting for each of us, and unveiled the lasagna in the center of it.

Just then there is another knock on the door.

"We you expecting someone Charles?" Mrs. Carter says with an 'oh crap' face like she just ruined my night.

I open up the door to see that the furniture store has finally made its delivery. By the time the Carters leave two hours later my house actually looks like someone lives here. Including a damp dish towel hanging from my oven door. But it feels empty without them here. I'm needier than I was when I was fifty.

Sam-a month later

"Do you really have to go?" Lisa wines as she rocks the porch swing way faster than it's ever supposed to move.

"Yeah, my ride will be here soon," I say to my best friend who has seemed really immature to me ever since I meet Charlie.

"Your mom?" she asks.

"Naw," I say lazily slowing the rock with my foot.

"Dad?" she asks turning toward me.

"No, Charlie," I say.

She looks at me, "Seriously, Sam, you can tell me if you're dating," and she sounds kind of wounded.

I look at her, "I'm not dating Charlie."

"Really? Cause, you spend more time with him than you do with me."

"Yeah well, he's had a tough year," I mutter.

"Yeah, real tough," she mutters.

"His mom kicked him out, Lisa!" I scold.

"Yeah, and now he lives by himself, and has a driver's license and car and a job and…"

"No family," I say at the same time she says, "you."

"I'm sorry your feeling neglected," I say after a long pause.

"I'm sorry for being jealous in your boyfriend," she says.

"We're really not dating, he told me…he doesn't want to date me until…its forever."

She smiles at me, "So…better than dating?"

"Yeah," I say with a giggle.

The car pulls up in front of her house. I hop off the porch swing, and am halfway to the car by the time Charlie catches up with me.

"They, no rush Sam," he says giving me a strange look.

"I'm good," I say.

"W could hang out for a while," he says.

"You don't want to hang around…" I begin, because I'm sort of trying to shelter Charlie from Lisa who is going to be way too overenthusiastic about him. But I realize that he probably really does want to hang around people his own age, people besides me. I mean, he spends enough hours in the grown-up world between work and his apartment. He probably does want to be a kid now and again. "You wanta meet Lisa?" I offer.

"If you don't mind," he says somewhat bashfully.

"No, it's ok. My two best friends," I say.

"Ok, if I hang out a bit?" he says approaching Lisa.

"The legendary, Charlie!" she exclaims getting up from the swing, and tucking her feet beneath her on a wicker chair. The only other place to sit is the porch swing. Charlie jesters me over to it. I sit down, and than pat the seat next to me, he grins at me and sits down.

"So Charlie, that's a pretty nice car," Lisa blurts.

"You must have very low standards," he mutters.

"It runs," she says.

"That it does."

"How was work?" I ask. Now that it's summer break Charlie usually takes a morning shift.

"You know…it was," he mutters.

"So I take it your job, and career life plan are a little bit different?" Lisa asks.

"I want to be an engineer," he says like he's confessing to some great sin.

"He's really great with stars," I add. I know that doesn't have anything to do with engineering, but if just felt like it fit.

"You two watch stars a lot?" Lisa says with a smirk.

I kick her in a way that is meant to look like an accident. It doesn't fool anyone.

"When Sam and I watch the starts it's about the stars," he says.

I knew that, so why does it cause me a pain?

"I mean the company counts too," he says bumping my shoulder, "a lot."

I can't stop the grin on my face.

"Hey, Lisa, I was planning on asking Sam to the movies, you want to come too?"

"I don't want to intrude."

"I want to be friends with Sammy's friends…if she doesn't mind," he says glancing at me.

"I'd love it, Charlie," I say.

"I'll go ask mom," Lisa says hoping up.


	7. College

August-Charlie

I'm still not completely used to my new name. So when I hear it being called on the first day of school I figure it's got to be some other Charlie. Nope, they mean me. See, college starts before high school, so all of the Carter's have come to cheer me on with banners, and sparklers. Yeah, sparklers.

"Guys! Go home!" I scold as I walk toward them.

"It's your first day," Sam says.

"Usually we have a pancake breakfast, but since you weren't there for one…" Mark explains.

"How about you go home now, and I'll come over for a pancake dinner," I say.

"Sorry we embarrassed you dear, but can't I walk you to your first college class?" Mrs. Carter asks.

"No," I say with an eye roll.

They head back to the car, but Sam holds back a little. I make eye contact which is all she needs. She gives me a quick hug. Her face turns bright crimson as she runs back to the car.

"Hey, that's a sweet little girlfriend you got there man," a fellow freshman says.

"It's not like that, things between us are totally innocent," I tell him.

"That's the best kind, 'specially at you age, you are young, right?" he asks.

"Yeah, I graduated a 'coupla years early," I say.

He examines my face for a second, "My name is Will, and we're going to be best friends Charles," he proclaims. And I'm supposed to be the prophet.

September-Charlie

Jack hated college. Almost as much as he hated high school. When he went to college it was on the GI bill, after Vietnam, and he was older than all the other students. More than that he was just wearied by life, like an old man. So he sort of missed out on the partying.

Really, I should be wearied by life a whole lot more than Jack ever was. I mean the stuff he saw after Vietnam adds up to a hell of a lot more than he saw during it. But, there is so much perspective to it to. I mean he was a father for goodness sake! And he saw the sun rise over the water in that one palace by the sea on the planet with the psycho lights, that was pretty amazing. And he's been to over 600 individual planets. I mean, who can be tired of life when you have memories of all that, and you're only fourteen.

I've been thinking lately about all the things I can do with my new fourteen year old body. Particularly about fatherhood. This is one of the areas that I differ from Jack. He is absolutely sure he doesn't want any more kids. I'm pretty sure I do.

Jack doesn't remember Charlie like I do. For him it's just the bloody death, and the times Jack didn't do something that Charlie asked him to do. I don't remember that stuff as much. Maybe it's because he wasn't really my son, I don't know. But I remember the cuddles, and the bedtime stories, and the games of catch we did play together. I remember the good stuff way more than the bad stuff. And I want that again. But I'm sixteen in the eyes of the law, and really fourteen so it's going to be awhile. That's for the best. I'm not financially ready for a kid yet anyway.

I wonder how Sam feels about kids. But I try not to think like that. I've got to keep things light between her, because she really is fourteen, with only fourteen years of memories.

"Hey, what dream world are you in?" Will says.

"Mmm?" I mutter.

"One filled with Samantha?" he teases.

"Ah, shut up," I say.

"Ah, Charles, sometimes I think you are so old, and then every once in awhile you prove to me how very young you are."

December-Sam

The bird outside my window is getting really obnoxious. Although it almost sounds like it's singing "Jack and Diane". Yeah, I must be going nuts if I'm starting to think that birds are singing famous songs. It needs to go away, right now. But getting out o bed is hard, sleep is so nice, and it's Saturday, and it's early, and it's my birthday.

Ok, I can't take another second of this. "Shut up!" I scream opening the window to see Jack's startled face on the other side.

"Ok, so this is not going as planned," he says.

"Charlie!" I exclaim.

"Sorry," he mutters.

"No, it's ok, I'll be right down." I throw on a bathrobe and rush downstairs where I open the kitchen door. He walks in.

"Sorry, that was way cooler in my head."

"No, I'm sorry. It was cool. I mean, not that many people are actually serenaded by their," I suddenly blush.

"Friend," he finishes.

"Right," I say. So we're still there. He can stand outside of my window and sing to me, but he can't call me his girlfriend.

"You want coffee or something?" I ask.

"We're sort of young for that, don't ya think?" he asks.

"Are you trying to tell me that you don't drink anything at college that you're not supposed to?" I ask. It's one of the things that mom frets about ALL the time, that Charlie is going to start drinking. The way she talks about college you'd think that's all people do.

"I like beer on my eggs," he replies.

I raise an eyebrow.

"Better than you'd think," he assures me.

"That's it?" I ask.

"Geez, Carter, I have a beer every now and again. It's not like I'm getting drunk at an all night keger."

"Any alcohol is illegal at your age," I remind him.

"Look, I know. It's just sometimes I miss it," he says.

"Miss it?" I ask with alarm, and his eyes go wide, "Did you used to drink when you lived with your mom?"

"No…" he stammers, "I…visions," he mutters.

"You remember drinking in your visions?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"Who'd you hurt?" I ask with concern. I know he's got some pain involved with his whole son's death, and I really hope this isn't the cause of it.

"No one," he says sounding confused.

"But doesn't just bad stuff get into your visions?" I ask.

"No," he says with a smile that makes me really wonder what he's remembering.

"No?" I ask.

"I remember the day I met you," he says, "I mean…in the visions I didn't meet you when we were young. We were like…middle age."

That's a long time to wait. Do I have to wait that long now that we changed everything?

"How did it go?" I ask.

He smiles, "You'd just come from…a bad relationship. And you'd had your job switched without your permission," by now his eyes have drifted off in a way that makes him look like my Grandpa telling a story, "You wanted to be a pilot forever. They all do. Once you've been in that cockpit there is no going back. But you never wanted to be a pilot originally. You wanted to be an astronaut, and in order to do that you had to be a scientist, and you had to be a soldier. And you fell in love with both of them," (he says with a grin). "But you didn't know what they were pulling you out of the cockpit for. Most Captians get pulled out to lead a group of people, and you weren't sure you can do that. You're a good leader, but you don't know it, you always need to be told." It occurs to me that if he were to realize I was actually in the room right now he'd stop talking. So I determine not to move. Even though I have a sudden itch on my forehead which takes all of my focus not to scratch.

"And then you found out it was for the Stargate program. And it was better than you'd hoped for, better than your dreams. And you knew you were qualified, more than qualified. A lot of Captains who are getting pulled out of the cockpit get put in charge of a few hundred men, you weren't even the head of a four man team. But you didn't really care, because you got to see other planets."

"What?" Crap. I said that out loud.

His eyes get huge for a second before he laughs, "You know sometimes my regular dreams and my visions get a little mixed up. Clearly…visiting alien planets was part of my dream."

I look at him for a long time, "Charlie?" I ask.

He sighs, "Anyway you walked in and felt all threatened, because you thought he was a jerk, and you said, "Just because my reproductive organs are on the inside doesn't mean I can't do anything you can do!"

I blush bright red.

"Yeah, you're not really the person who says these things yet. Maybe you'll never be," and it's a sad sort of smile playing on her face.

"You wish I was more like her?" I ask.

"No, I miss her. I miss all of them, but you're better than her, in almost every way," he says still obviously more caught in the dream than real life.

I'm not sure where to start with that one, "How is she better than me?"

He blushes a bit, but doesn't answer.

"You miss them?" I ask.

"I give a lot away when I just start talking about visions this early in the orning. I'm going to tell you someday what I mean by missing them. But they…aren't mine. Never were, especially Carter."

"What part of her is better than me?" I ask.

"Geez, I shouldn't tell you, but if I don't, you're going to keep wondering, and make it into something it isn't, and maybe even change who you are. And you don't need to do anything of that, you're perfect. You'll grow into both the ways that she's better than you."

"What are they?" I ask again.

"Happy birthday," he says walking toward the door. When he's almost out it he turns and says, "hand to hand combat, and hotness. Thirty-year old you, is much hotter."

Ok, that's a little disturbing.

March-Charlie

"Hi," a voice says on the phone. I love that Sam and I are beyond having to actually identify ourselves. Carter and Jack never got there. He knew her voice, but still there was always this, "Sir, this is Captian/Major Carter." There was some formality in it.

"What's up?" I ask.

"What's up?" she asks uncertainly. Right, we're a couple decades before people said that.

"Never mind, what is going on?"

"Ah, look I know we're not dating, but you wanted me to share my high school experience with you right?" Sam sounds nervous. I don't know if I ever heard Sam nervous. Carter a couple times, but that was when a planet's fate was in her hands.

"Yeah, what's going on?" I ask.

"Prom is coming up," she mutters.

"You want to go to prom with me?" I ask, and my heart leaps a little at it. Yeah, I'm deficiently falling in love with Sam. And not like a fifty year old man falls in love. I'm falling for her like a teenager. It's not just the birthday serenade either. There was the Christmas "friendship" poem I stuck in with the microscope (she may pretend she doesn't like biology, but she does). There was the Valentine's Day chocolates, and the just 'cause teddy bear.

Yeah, we're going to have to start dating. But I can't do that until I tell her the whole truth.

"If you don't want to go to prom…" I hear her stammer on the other end of the phone.

"I'd love to go to prom with you Carter," I say.

"Ah…ok," she mutters.


	8. Prom Night

April - Sam

I didn't expect him to do it like this. I mean I know the man is sweet; proof of this is the really sweet gift I've been getting every couple of weeks. But Charlie didn't seem like the limo, tux, and corsage kind of guy.

"What?" he asks nervously, "Didn't I do it right?"

"It's perfect, Charlie, it's just not… very you," I say.

"Tonight, Sam, is going to be everything you want it to be," he says, and I see that look in his eye that he uses when he's most infatuated with me.

"You don't have to try like that. I mean… the best thing about going to the prom with you is that it's… with you," I blush wondering if I'm pushing it too far.

He grins at me, "Still, Sam, it's the prom. Now, let's go take picture with your parents."

"They didn't say…" I begin, but just then Mom comes out with the camera.

"Wait! I just want to get a couple of pictures!" she says.

Charlie flashes me a "told-you-so" kind of look.

During the pictures he rests his hand on the small of my back. The touch is carefully chaste (it better be with Dad watching), but it's not exactly what you'd call a friendly touch. Maybe this whole night… maybe this is his way of telling me that he's ready for something else. I really hope so.

When we finally escape from my parents he holds the limo door open for me. I slide over, thinking he's coming in next to me, but he goes around to the other side. Apparently, I'm not familiar with dating etiquette. So, I scoot back into my seat.

"Scooting in a prom dress, very brave Carter," he says.

"You don't call me that much anymore," I say. I like 'Sam'.

"No, 'cause you're almost never like her anymore," I start to ask if I'm better or worse, but he cuts me off by saying, "Better."

"Charles, how could you afford this?" I ask being a bit worried that he's going to be eating ramen noodles forever in order to give me a magical night.

"My hockey team won," he mutters.

"Charlie you were gambling?" I ask in horror.

"Geez Sam, you're a pool shark yourself, wait not yet," he says snapping his fingers, "You picked that up at the Academy."

"Academy?" I ask.

"Never mind," he mutters.

"Charlie, did you bet on a hockey game you knew the results to, because of your visions?" I scold.

"It wasn't for me. I just did this with the leftovers," he mutters looking ashamed.

"Who did you do it for?" I asked.

"There is this kid, Daniel. He was supposed to be an orphan. I saved his parents. Only problem is he went to school on a scholarship he got in part because he was an orphan, also, because he's a genius. But the point is if he didn't get money, he might never go to college. And if the world doesn't have genius Dr. Jackson and his billion doctorates, we might be seriously screwed over," he explains.

There is warmth in his voice when he talks about him. "So, Daniel is one of these guys you miss?"

"Yeah, who would have thought that all my best friends would be nerds," he says with a little laugh.

"I hate to break the news to you, but you're pretty nerdy yourself," I say with a laugh.

"Not as nerdy as you think," he mutters.

"What's wrong?" I ask. He's off tonight.

He takes a deep breath, "Let's go for a walk."

"Are you serious? We're in a limo, and these heals are not make for walking," I protest.

"This is what I don't get. You are one of the smartest people in the universe and you wear these ridiculous shoes to a place where we DANCE," he mutters looking down.

"You don't like my shoes?" I ask holding them up to give them a critical look.

"Your shoes are wonderful, Sam," he says with a laugh, "Just not practical. And we've got to walk if I'm going to tell you the truth, less chance of bugs."

"Aren't there more bugs outside?" I ask.

"I'm not taking insects here, different kind of bugs, but you know what? It doesn't matter, because they recorded a conversation you had with Orlin in a park and they caught me talking about the Stargate that one time when we were walking the streets of D.C."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I ask.

He pushes the speaker on the limo, "Make sure the speaker's off, and take the long way to the school, I want to have a talk with Sam."

"Yes Sir," the limo driver says.

It's obvious that Charlie doesn't trust him, because he twists at the wires for a little bit disconnecting them.

"You're scarring me with this spy stuff, Charlie," I mutter.

"Not a spy, black ops," I say.

I laugh, but it's not a joke.

"You're fifteen!" I exclaim.

"Sort of," he says.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a clone."

"What?"

"Gah! 1980s," he mutters, "Ok you know DNA?"

"Yeah, of course," I say with a slight role of my eyes.

"Right, so cloning is when you take the DNA out of the nucleus of a cell, and put it in another cell, and that cell grows into a creature which is basically an identical twin of the first cell," I say.

"Right, I think I have heard of it."

"Yeah, but we still have to wait four years before they actually do it."

"Wait, we're only four years away from cloning people?"

"No; farm animals. And it will be a hell of a lot longer before we get good at it. Luckily I wasn't actually cloned by… you know what? Let's leave Loki out of this."

"Loki? Are you friends with a Norwegian god as well as an Egyptian one?"

"So not friends with Loki or Ra. Thor, now him I like."

"So you're picky about your ancient deities," I tease.

"Let's not talk about that right now. Let's just focus on the fact that I'm a clone."

"So there is another version of you out there? Did he stay with your mom?"

"Sort of. He's older than me."

This story just keeps getting weirder and weirder, "Ok, why?"

"Loki pressed the wrong button the Xerox, and there is some time travel involved."

Oh crap! "So… your 'visions'?"

"Yeah, that was just a story I used until you would believe the truth."

"You're actually from the future?"

"Yeah," he mutters looking into my eyes all full of the love I've seen there before, but I'm not sure how I feel about it this time.

"So, in the future exactly how old were you?"

"Well, when I was made I was fourteen. But the guy I was cloned off of, he was fifty. They transferred his memorizes into me."

I can't breathe for a few seconds. When the air re-enters my lungs it comes fast and hard and I'm worried this might be a panic attack.

"Sam," he says trying to put his arm around me.

I scoot to the other side of the limo, "On my birthday. You said I'd be hotter when I was old. I thought it was gross. But geez, Charlie you're fifty, it'd be gross if you didn't think that!"

"Actually, I'm not fifty. Jack is. That's the name of the guy I'm cloned from. I have his memories, but I'm not him. He didn't need approval from people. He was Jacob's equal, or close to it. Anyway he didn't have this relationship with Jacob, where he was like a…"

"Son," I supply.

"Yeah," he nods, "And Jack didn't let anyone know he was smart. And he was in the Air Force. And he liked living alone and ordering take out every night."

"You live alone," I say.

"Yeah, but I don't want it forever. I do eventually want a family. But what I'm getting at is that I'm not fifty. I'm emotionally needy like a teenager. And sometimes I get overwhelmed by simple household stuff like a teenager. And I need to blow off steam more, like I'm still a kid."

"But as far as who you're attracted to…" I start.

"That's complicated. At first I was disgusted by fourteen year old girls who don't wear enough clothes, and I felt about older woman the way I always have. But as time went on… I'm getting younger, Samantha."

"And me?" I ask.

"I liked your mind right off. And you are… really beautiful, Sam," I say.

I note that beautiful is a little different from hot, but I choose to let that go.

"So you actually knew her… me… from the future?" I ask.

"He knew her," he corrects.

"Right. And he loved her? Married her?" I ask.

"Naw… Jack was an idiot."

"So he didn't love her?" I ask.

"He loved her, and she loved him. But it didn't matter, because they couldn't be together with their jobs," he mutters.

"So he let himself be cloned so that he could be with her?" I ask. That is so romantic. And also so creepy.

"No, he didn't let himself be cloned. But he did stop them from killing me. He didn't know I went back in time. But if I had to grow up again… I wanted to do it with you."

Ok, sweet, and less creepy than if he'd been cloned on purpose.

"You're really a clone? From the future?" I ask uncertainly.

He nods. "I know this is a lot to take in, and I totally understand if you don't want to hang out anymore, and I am so sorry if it ruins your prom."

"And if I do still want to hang out?" I say, turning so I can look him right in the eye.

He smiles, "After I told you the truth, I was going to ask if you wanted to be my girlfriend."

"Yes," I say grinning.

"You sure? I come with a lot of baggage." he asks.

"I'm sure… so that stuff about your mom?" I ask.

"Mostly true, she never kicked him out though," he says looking out the window.

"Charlie? Your son?" I realize with horror.

"His son. He hasn't been born yet, and when it comes time for… I'm going to try to save him."

"You've…" I don't know how to phrase it in the least offensive way, "You've been through a lot."

"That's why I'm giving you a free out any time this gets to grown-up for you," he says.

"No, I just… can I make it better?" I ask.

"You have, Sam, you've reminded me about the good stuff in life," he says with a smile. He puts an arm on the back of the limo, so that he's sort of opened himself up. I scoot over, so that his arm goes around my back in a hug. I place my head on his shoulder.

"So I didn't ruin the prom?" he asks.

"Defiantly not."

"And you're not mad at me for not telling you?" he asks.

"You told me as soon as I would believe you."

"You can't tell Mom and Dad," he says.

"What?" I ask twisting away from him to look at him.

"You can't tell your parents."

"That's not what you said," I tease.

"I was once in the habit of calling Jacob 'Dad', or rather, Jack was in the habit of calling him that."

And I feel like I have read the first page in what is going to be a very, very interesting book.


	9. First Kiss

**That night - Jacob**

"Ten minutes late!" I announce as they enter the house.

"The limo driver can vouch for us," Sam says casually.

"Sam, don't you have something to tell your parents?" Charlie asks.

She turns and looks at him as if he's nuts, "I thought we weren't going to tell Mom and Dad."

"Not THAT, I mean that we're dating," he says.

"Right, duh!" she says, "Charlie and I are dating."

"That's great, now tell me the part you weren't planning on telling me," I say.

"It's nothing," Sam says with a shrug.

"Daddy's panicking now honey; what did you do on prom night that you can't tell us about?" Dot asks, but I can tell that she's more panicked than me.

"Oh, my gosh! You think we did something physical? Gross!" Sam says.

"Excuse me, gross?" Charlie asks giving her a surprised look.

She rolls her eyes, "You know what I mean," she says.

"Yeah, you find your boyfriend physically repulsive," Charlie says.

"It's just temporarily weird," she says with a shrug.

"Ok, stop and tell me what the hell happened tonight?" I burst out.

"Nothing, Charlie just told me a little about his past," I say.

"What is it?" I ask moving toward Charlie.

"Nothing," he says with an eye roll.

"Sam, you remember this discussion about when you have to break trust with a friend. The big things that you have to tell your parents," I say.

"So not one of those times, Dad," she says with an eye roll.

"Are you sure?" I ask, this time looking directly at Charlie.

"Yeah, the secret isn't going to hurt your daughter, Sir," he mutters.

"I'm worried about you too, son," I say. Charlie and Sam look at each other, and begin laughing.

"What could possibly be funny about that?" Dot asks.

"Just… never mind, the secret isn't going to hurt Charlie either," Sam says.

"You know we're here for you, right?" Dot asks, putting a hand on his shoulder, "No matter what and always?"

"I appreciate that Dorothy," he says. There is a pause. He's never called her anything but Mrs. Carter before. "Not ok?" he asks nervously.

"Oh, it is definitely ok!" she exclaims, pulling him into a hug.

"A little bit too much ok," he says, muffled from the bone crushing hug.

**May 1984 - Sam**

"I'm going to throw up," I confess.

"You are not," Charlie says.

"You know your valedictorian speech down cold," Mom says. She should know; she's the one practicing it with me.

"It's weird for me to be doing this anyway. I'm younger than everyone else here. I've only been in their class for a couple of years. Most of them have been together for a lot longer," I explain.

"Younger than them, and smarter than them," Dad says. He hasn't been able to wipe the grin off his face since he found out I was going to be valedictorian. I like making Dad proud. Really, really like making Dad proud.

"I'm sort of surprised you're nervous," Charlie says, "I thought you just got all stiff and formal when someone brought out a camera."

"What?" I squawk.

"She's not a movie star," Dad mutters.

"No, she's more in line for inspirational documentaries. The point is Sam, you can do this. Some day you're going to lead a whole ship into battle. This is nothing," Charlie says.

"Ship? You're not thinking about the Navy are you?" Dad asks in horror.

"No, don't worry about it. If I join the military it will definitely be the Air Force," I say, and then lie, "Ok, I'm ready."

Everyone walks out of the room, but I grab Charlie just before he leaves, "What ship do I command?" I ask.

"Well, it's named after me, and you blow it up," he says.

"Great confidence builder."

"Hey," he shrugs, "You did it on purpose. Now go show them your awesomeness."

**Two Hours later - Charlie**

Sam has finished opening all of her graduation presents, and now it's just the two of us in her room before her party stops. She turns to me with a huge grin on her face, and says, "I have a present for you. I'm going to go to the same college as you!"

"You've got to be kidding! They don't even have an astrophysics program there," I protest.

"No; but they have you, and I can transfer after two years."

"Not happening. You're going to go away for school; I'll join you in a year when I graduate."

"Charlie, we're sixteen. I…"

The last time I was in this much pain I was reading a divorce certificate from Sara. "No, I get it…" I say quickly.

"I just… I love you, but you're the only guy I've ever dated, and…"

"It's fine," I say forcing a smile.

"Charlie," she pleads.

"Congratulations, Sam," I say before making a hasty exit.

"What's wrong?" Dot says as she sees me leaving the room. But it's Sam's graduation day. And Sam's her daughter so she goes to comfort her first. All the better so I can make my escape.

**The Next Day - Charlie**

"Go away!" I shout at the door. I may not be entirely sure which Carter it is, but I know it's one of them, and I remembered why I hate families. They hurt. No more of this.

"Hey, if you don't let me in the whole family will be here in an hour," Mark says.

I walk over and pull the door open.

"My sister's an idiot," he says. Then he glances around the room. Shit, I forgot about the empty beer bottles on the floor. "And so are you. Mom and Dad would kill you if they saw this!"

"Yeah, well they don't really have authority over me anymore. Actually, they never did," I tell him.

"What, you think you're out of our family now?" He says, looking truly shocked, "Not going to happen, Charlie."

I shake my head.

"Look man, I know you've faced some pretty fierce rejection in the past; your mom and whatnot. But we're not doing that to you. You're part of our family forever."

I share at him for a long moment, trying to figure out how I can say no. He steps forward and pulls me into a hug. "You know I've thought of you like a brother for quite some time now," he says, pulling away.

"Thanks, Mark," I mutter.

He nods. I figured he'd leave, but he makes no move toward the door.

"You want to, uh… watch TV, or something?" I ask.

"Sure," he agrees, "Can I have a beer?"

"Not a chance in hell."

"Worth a shot," he says, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You think I'd let my little brother get drunk?" I ask.

He grins, "Welcome to the family, Charlie." That's not exactly how I pictured Mark saying that, but I'll take it.

**December 1984 - Sam**

"Sam," my roommate says, coming out into the hallway, "Sorry to interrupt this endless date, but there is some guy on the phone, and he's called like a thousand times."

"And there is the extragrammatical 'like' we've been talking about, Jen," I say.

"Whatever. Just get the phone," she says, handing it to me.

"Come on in, Rodney," I say.

"I get to come into your dorm room!" Rodney says with a huge grin.

I figure the 'guy' on the phone is my brother. I should have known better than to go on a date on my birthday. I mean you have to figure that my family is going to want to call. But I broke up with Charlie to date other people, and I've yet to go on a date. So when McKay asked me, I figured why not. After all there aren't that many sixteen year old college freshman, and I'm not so sure I want to date someone older. I already did that, sort of.

"Sam," Holy Hannah! Charlie's voice. I haven't talked to him since I left home. He's calling me.

"Are you ok?" I ask, completely panicked.

"What? Yeah, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday," he says.

"Right, uh, ok, thanks," I say.

There's a long awkward pause, "AU… Sam? Are you ok?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm just on a date."

"Oh… uh, with whom?" he asks.

"I'm sorry Charlie, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to know."

"Carter, I know the guys who treated you like crap. Just let me save you from. I don't care if you date. I just want to make sure he's not a jerk."

God, he's so sweet. Why exactly did I break up with him?

"Rodney McKay," I tell him.

He burst into laughter, and just keeps on laughing and laughing.

"What?" I ask, almost bursting into laughter myself, which would be harmful for Rodney's oversized ego.

"Don't worry Carter, Rodney is utterly harmless."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing," he says.

"Charlie!" I demand.

"Well, he's… you know, sort of a nerd. And he called you a dumb blond."

"He's never called me that," I protest.

"Who are you talking about me to?" Rodney asks. Oh, this is bad.

"Just a…" but if Charlie hears me call him a friend it will kill him, "Old boyfriend of mine."

Rodney goes a little pale.

"Charlie, I've got to go."

"Ok Sam, I just wanted to remind you that you are awesome beyond all measure."

"Thanks, Charles," I say, hanging up.

I look at Rodney, who is staring at me. My roommate is kindly pretending to be studying. But I know full well that I will be tomorrow's dorm topic of gossip.

"Hi," I offer with a smile.

"So you talk to your ex-boyfriend often?" Rodney asks.

"No, first time since we broke up. He just wanted to wish me a happy birthday."

"It's your birthday?" he asks, with a smile

I nod.

"Happy birthday," he says, taking a step toward me. Before Jen came in the hall we were having a five minute conversation during which each of us were trying to decide if we were ready to kiss. And I decided that yeah, I'm going to kiss Rodney.

Charlie is a way better kisser. Hold it; not supposed to be thinking about your ex when you kiss someone else. It's just because he called right before. That's it. No other reason. Nope.

We pull back. Wow, his grin is way too big for the situation, that's for sure. He's much too pleased with himself.

Don't compare him to Charlie.

Note: I'm not really sure why anything that has happened thus far in the story results in Rodney going to the same school as Sam. Maybe Sam's mother living caused Sam to go to a different college. And we don't know that Rodney didn't go to college in America.


	10. The Next Level

**May 1984 - Sam**

Rodney is being way sweeter than usual. It's our sixth month anniversary, and he bought me a teddy bear and flowers. And now we're having a fancy dinner. And he told me that his roommate is at his parents' for the weekend.

Do I want what he wants?

"Are you ok, Samantha?" he asks.

"What? Yeah, fine. Hey, do you know any blond jokes?" I ask.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Sam, if you don't feel comfortable we can go to a restaurant or the dining center or something."

"Don't be ridiculous, you have this really nice dinner all made."

"Ordered in."

"Either way."

"But we don't have to do anything you don't want to do," he says, looking me in the eyes.

Damn, he's being sweet. So screw it. Or him. Or whatever.

**May 1984 - Charlie**

What is that sound?

Crap.

It's the phone.

I glance at the clock as I go to pick up the phone. 1 am. Not good. No good phone call comes at 1 am.

"Charlie!" Sam's voice sounds… excited? What the hell?

"Sam, are you ok?" I ask, panicking and sitting up.

"Yeah," she says, sounding puzzled.

I scrub my face with my hands, "'Cause it's 1 am."

"Crap! I forgot about the time difference, I'm so sorry, Charlie. I'll call you back in the morning."

"No way! I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep until you tell me what's going on!" I exclaim.

"Ah… Rodney and I broke up."

"What happened? Are you ok?"

"I think it would be more accurate to say that I broke up with him. It was our six month anniversary, and he was doing everything right. We were ah…"

I can practically hear the blush over the phone, "I'm not Jacob, Sam, you were making out."

"Right, but, ah… we were headed for more."

Her first time was Rodney McKay? Not sure if I can deal with teenage Sam having sex.

"But I stopped him!" she rushes on. "I mean I just realized that this wasn't right. That none of it was right. That he is not the one that I should be…"

"Kissing, Sam, we're going to go ahead and call it kissing."

"Right."

"So you didn't…?"

"Kiss? No."

Sigh of relief.

"Except you know Rodney and I actually kissed, I'm talking about KISSING."

"Right, got it Sam."

"So are we dating?"

"You and Rodney?"

"No you and I. I'm so sorry about before… I thought that maybe I just wanted you, because you were there. Easy. Effortless. And you deserved better than that. But that's not why I was with you. I love you, Charlie."

I don't know quite what to say.

"It's ok, Charlie, I know I don't deserve another chance. Sorry I woke you…"

"I love you, too, Samantha," I blurt out.

"Oh, so…"

"I applied to a grad school twenty minutes from you, for next year. Just in case."

"I know where all the good fast food is."

"Sounds like we have a date in a few weeks, after I graduate," I say.

"Can I come and see you graduate?"

"Sure, I know your parents will be thrilled to see you."

"I missed you, Charlie. I won't be that stupid again."

"You'd better not be," I whisper.

**March 1985 - Sam**

"Ready for a study date?" Charlie asks cheerfully.

"We should stop calling it that since we're studying different things," I say.

"It's been a really long time since we actually studied the same thing, anyway, Sam. It was only that once," he says with a grin.

"Right, and I appreciate you using your lunch break to help me study."

"No one I'd rather spend lunch with," he says handing me a bag of Chinese.

I open it up and see a cardboard box. "Is this a happy meal?" I ask him.

"I'm hoping; it definitely has a prize inside."

About once a week he gives me some present, so I'm not particularly surprised… at least until I open up the box. It's a ring. He's giving me a ring. "Charlie… this looks real!"

"It'd better."

"So, you're asking me… to marry you?" I stammer.

"If it's too soon, I can just take it. We can do this again. I know we're young."

"Yes!" I exclaim.

"Yes to the waiting?" he says uncertainly.

"No!"

"No to the proposal?" he says playfully.

"Charlie, I want to marry you!" I say.

"Are you sure?" he is trying to pass it off as a joke, but there is real insecurity in it.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," I assure him.

"When?" he asks.

"Next summer?" I ask.

He nods. "You want to talk specifics?" he asks.

"Like flowers?" I ask, because that is so not Charlie.

"No, like our future. What is our life together going to look like?" he says, smiling at me. I'm suddenly reminded that he's a lot more mature than me.

"I want to finish my doctorate degree even after we get married."

"Of course; and if you decide to join the Air Force like you've been considering, I'll move where you go. Even if you don't, you're still more likely to move than I am. Your career comes first," he says, taking my hand in his.

"You are every bit as important as I am."

"No way in hell, Samantha," he says, fiddling with my ring finger.

"You already know where we're moving, don't you?"

He smiles and nods, "House or apartment?"

"House?" I ask.

"Good, lots of room for…" he pauses nervously.

"Kids?" I ask.

He just looks at me hoping for an answer.

"I want kids. Not until I'm out of school, but I do want kids."

His grin is huge. "I'm going to try so hard to make you happy."

"You already have."

**A Week Later - Jacob**

The hardest part of having a genius daughter is having to give her up sooner than I normally would. It just about killed me when Sam moved away to go to college when she was only sixteen. I felt a little better when Charlie moved across the country to be near her. Of course, I hate the fact that she's got a boyfriend across the country from me. But it's Charlie, and he's like a son to me. If she has to be with someone it might as well be him.

And they are both coming home today. As they get off the plane, they're holding hands, oblivious to the fact that someone behind them is trying to walk past them.

"Oh, my god," Dot says, staring at their hands.

"They've been dating for a long time, we should expect them to be holding hands," I mutter.

"She's wearing a ring!"

"What?" I ask, stunned.

"They're getting married," Dot repeats.

"Dad!" Charlie says. He's called me that since he and Sam broke up the first time, but it's not ok now.

"General Carter," I correct.

He stops cold, confused.

"Dad, be nice to my fiancé," Sam says, like it's a big announcement.

"You're seventeen," I remind her.

"We're not getting married until next year," he says.

"You couldn't!" I exclaim.

"Not without parental permission, which I'd give in a second if you wanted it," Dot says.

I turn and give her a glare.

"Why are you acting like this, Dad? You love Charlie," Sam asks me, with a glare.

"You're…" I begin.

"You're his baby girl," Charlie says. "I get it, sir, and I don't want to do this without you. Let me know when you come around."

I'm stunned.

"You're not going to marry me?" Sammy says, with tears in her eyes.

"We're going to wait until General Carter is ok with it," he says.

"Oh hell, c'mere, son!" I say, pulling him into a hug. I can't be overprotective daddy when the boyfriend actually AGREES with me.


	11. Baby

**Charlie - June 1986**

I feel like there are people missing. I mean, Daniel and Teal'c and Hammond ought to be here. But they don't know Sam yet, and they're never going to know me. I also feel like I should invite my family, but they aren't my family.

Being a time traveling clone is complicated. At least Sam's family is here.

"Charlie?" Sam's frantic voice says from the other side of the door. I start to open the door, but she shoves it shut. "You're not supposed to see the bride on her wedding day. But I need to talk to you."

"Ok," I say as calmly as I can. I knew she was too good for me.

"Are you in love with me, or some her that I may or may not ever become?" she blurts out.

"You, Samantha," I say without hesitation, without doubt. "If I had a choice of all the women on the planet, past and present and future, I would chose you. If I had a thousand lifetimes I'd spend every one with you."

"Our house would get pretty crowded," she says.

"I'd figure out a way to give you a thousand lives too. I love you," I assure her.

She sticks a hand through the door. "Charlie," she says simply, but she means a lot in it.

I grab onto the hand and give it a squeeze.

"I have to go… there's a hairspray incident. I just… needed to know…" she mutters, before pulling away.

**Sam - An Hour Later**

They fling the doors open before me, and I see a room full of people focused on me. I haven't been so nervous since my valedictorian speech. I feel like I am going to flee, but then… he catches my eyes.

When I first met him, he used to look at me with love in his eyes. But not like this. This is some kind of powerful love. More powerful than I've ever felt before. And I walk toward him feeling like I'm floating.

Chapter two in that amazing book of Charlie I've been reading.

**Sam - September 1986**

He's fidgeting. It's a sure sign that something is wrong.

"Is work ok?" I ask.

He nods. "Sam… I haven't mentioned the future in a long time."

"Something bad is about to happen?" I ask, "Dad? Mark?"

"No one you know. There was this botched mission in Russia. I… I could save them."

"You want to join the Air Force?"

"I thought I'd do it more as a consultant thing. You know; fly in, save some butt, get home for dinner," he says.

"Is it ethical to use your knowledge of the future to save them?" I ask carefully.

"Is it ethical that a good man died, because he was an idiot?" he asks. There's a moment of silence, "Sorry, it's just I knew these people. The people you serve with… you'd break a couple of rules to save them, wouldn't you?"

"I get it," I tell him, "You just make sure you come back."

"Funny, I thought I'd be saying that to you," he says. But he doesn't have to say that to me, because I'm still a college student. A college student who is freaking out, because she just discovered she's also going to be a mother. And I'm thinking I'd better wait until he comes back to tell him the news. If I tell him now he'd never go on the rescue mission, and I so don't want to be the reason good men die.

**Charlie - December 1986**

Jack thought the worse part of his POW experiences was not knowing. He was wrong.

But I saved them. All of them. And I got Jack home which is good, because Charlie is three years old. Man, Charlie exists! He needed to go home far more than I did.

The morphine is wearing off. Everything hurts. What year did they invent those handy little machine where you just push a button and get the medicine? It's way less humiliating than a groan. But I need the medicine.

"Ahhhhh," I moan.

"I think he needs more medicine," a nurse tells the doctor. Sweet relief flows into my veins. Good nurse, now call my wife.

"Charlie!" Sam's voice. She sounds freaked out. Geez, how beat up am I? Three connections to the wall, so it can't be that bad.

"Mmm… fine…" I mutter. Darn, how come my mouth isn't working yet?

"Charlie, are you alright?" she asks.

I open my eyes. Her stomach is big. What? "Baby?" I ask.

"Yeah, we're having a baby. Are you ok?" she repeats.

"Baby," I repeat, reaching forward and trying to touch her stomach with a big grin on my face. Or at least what I hope is a big grin on my face. I'm not exactly sure how much control I have over my muscles right now.

"Forget about the baby for a minute, Charlie, and tell me how you are."

"Wonderful," I say, and that makes her smile for the first time.

"What is hurt?" she asks. Sam's good at hospitals. At least, Carter was good at infirmaries. She knew enough about medicine to question treatments. And she was just a constant presence. All of SG-1 would be there for you when you got hurt, but Carter literally never left unless it was for food, sleep, or her laptop. Daniel and Teal'c they were great to have around for a purely comfort/friendship reasons. But neither of them were actually that helpful. They didn't exactly get you water or make sure you could reach your Jell-o. They just didn't think about these kinds of things.

But I really need to stop comparing Carter to Sam.

"Charlie?" Right; I lost focus.

"Question?" I ask.

"What hurts?" I repeat.

I point to my arm.

"Pain meds, so nothing hurts?" she asks.

I nod.

"What's wrong with him?" she asks the nurse.

She's got the medical stuff, so I can close my eyes for this part of it. Wait, "When baby?" I ask opening my eyes wide.

"April. The baby will come in April."

"Good," I mutter before falling asleep.

**Sam - Two Hours Later**

Well, it looks like he's going to be alright. Physically, at least. He did spent four mounts in a POW camp.

Suddenly he sits bolt upright in bed. "Samantha!" he demands.

"Right here," I say, coming to stand by his bed.

He takes a deep breath, and sits back in the bed, "I thought it was just a dream that I was home. I was terrified I'd wake up back there."

"It's ok; you're home now," I assure him.

"Sit by me," his voice pleads, scooting over to make room for me.

"You have broken ribs," I remind him.

"Please," he begs.

I climb next to him and he puts a hand on my stomach. "How come you're not excited about the baby?"

"I am…" I start to protest but I'm stopped by an 'I don't believe you look' that is too close to my father's for my comfort. I take a deep breath. "I'm not ready," I whisper.

"It's ok, together we'll…" he starts, but I start crying.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"What if I don't love it?" I ask quite suddenly. I had vowed I was never going to share that worry with anyone, but there it was.

He smiles at me, "The fact that you're worrying about it means you have nothing to worry about."

**Charlie - May 1987**

"What's wrong?" I ask coming back into the hospital room. Sam just gave birth to our daughter. I left to deliver the news to Jacob and Dot, and when I came back she's sobbing HARD. Damn. Maybe she really doesn't love our kid. Or maybe this is that post-partum depression you hear about sometimes.

"She's perfect!" Sam sobs. looking at her.

"Yeah… and the problem is?" I ask.

"I love her so much," she says.

I raise an eyebrow at her, Teal'c-like (God, I miss Teal'c).

"Happy tears," she explains.

**Charlie - August 1993**

I'm a thief. I stole from my… What is Jack to me anyway? And if I take his stuff is it really stealing? I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with the guns now that I have them. I, unlike Jack, have the memories of Charlie's (the kid, not me) death. I so don't want them in my house. I'd be terrified one of the girls would get a hold of them. But it's not like I can very well just drop them somewhere where anyone could find them. And I don't want it to be somewhere where Jack could get them back. I'm not all together sure that the accident had to happen on this particular day.

But I'm pretty sure I saved his son.

I guess I'll have to sell them. Maybe I'll send the money to Daniel. He was having a hard time right about now, wasn't he?

**Sam - September 1993**

I can't sleep. This has got to be the weirdest situation anyone has ever been in. I'm thinking about the future Charlie came from, the future that isn't really our future anymore. We changed it -beyond all imagination.

In the original, Jack's son died. And I wasn't a mom (I still can't believe I was worried that I wouldn't love my kids enough!) And I didn't go on the first Abydos mission, because of some male chauvinists. But this time I'm going to be there.

Charlie walks into the room. "You still up?"

I nod.

"Nervous? Because you're awesome; beyond awesome. I told you how impressed I was with you when we first met, didn't I?"

"If you think I'm going to do deliver that line about reproductive organs, you're nuts!" I exclaim. Suddenly the smile fades off his face.

"What?" I ask walking over to him and touching his face.

"You liked him the first time you laid eyes on him, what if…" he begins.

"Are you crazy? I already have the new and improved model," I tease.

"I'm barely him at all anymore," he says. And somehow I hope that's true. It would be really weird to be working with a commanding officer who is basically my husband plus a few physical years and minus a few memories.

"Listen, you have to bring Daniel back with Sha'uri. And you have to make sure to kill Ra, but not the people of Abydos. And whatever you do, get back alive," he says, a bit frantically.

We've been over the specifics lots of times. And he probably told me a lot more than he was supposed to. "It will be ok," I assure him.

"Kiss the girls before you leave tomorrow," he tells me.

"I'll be leaving a long time before they get up."

"I know, but whenever he was away from his son it hurt more when he hadn't kissed him goodbye, even if he was sleeping."

And then I give him a kiss goodbye. But he's a long way from sleeping.


	12. Jack

Jack - A Few Days Later

Captain Carter has to be the most amazing soldier that the world has ever known. On Abydos it seemed like she was always one step ahead of the rest. I was supposed to have a bomb on a remote timer to go off and destroy everyone right after I got everyone back safe. But Captain Carter informs us there is a ship coming, and she already knows about the bomb. So she gets a plan going to blow the ship out of the air before it even lands.

And she warns Daniel that he gets a wife as a present (good thing they didn't try to give spouses to Captain Carter or I, we're both already married). And then she guessed that he wanted to stay there, because he never felt like he belonged. She managed to convince him that he was worthwhile, and he ended up taking the girl home.

Then General West was blowing smoke about how he wanted to end the Stargate program and all kinds of nonsense, and she talked him out of it without even breaking a sweat. She made a pretty convincing argument about all the different alliances we were going to make one day. Which is interesting, because I would have tried to sell it based on the technology we could acquire. And as a scientist you would think that would be more of where her interest would lie.

Then we had a team party to celebrate how amazingly awesome we all are. Only Captain Carter didn't show. Which isn't ok, because it was mostly to celebrate her.

So I show up at her house. A little girl, about three or four, answers the door. I knew that Carter had kids, but I didn't know anything about them. There is something really familiar about this little thing, but I can't quite place it.

"Hi, is your mommy home?" I ask her.

Her eyes go big and startled as soon as she sees me. "Are you my mommy's new boss?" she asks.

"Yes, I am."

"You're old," she says with a giggle.

"Ah…" I stammer. I'm not really offended, but I feel like I should teach her that this is unacceptable.

"Abby!" a girl about seven or so says, "You're not supposed to answer the door when you don't know who it is."

"I knowed who it was… It's Mommy's new boss," Abby protests.

The older sister's mouth drops. "Jack!" she exclaims. "Mommy, Jack is here!"

Captain Carter walks into the room looking every bit as shocked as her offspring, "Colonel."

"Debbie…" a man's voice says as he slowly comes around the corner. That voice sounds more than a little bit familiar. It's my own voice… sort of. And the guy using the voice is me… sort of.

"What the hell is going on here?" I ask, before I can stop myself.

Abby giggles, "Jack said a bad word."

"Girls, go to your room please," Captain Carter instructs.

Abby starts to protest, but the long suffering big sister grabs her by the hand and they exit the room together.

"So explain why you and someone who looks like a younger version of me have kids," I demand.

"Colonel, this is my husband Charles Neil," Carter says.

"Charles?" I ask. "I have a son named Charles."

"I know you do. I… Ok, it starts with a time in the future when a little gray alien clones you against your will," this 'Charles' says.

"And that clone is you," I add. This situation is pretty weird, and I'm not entirely sure that I actually believe it, but I do understand it.

"Right," he nods.

"But if I was cloned in the future what exactly are you doing here right now?" I prod.

"Well… There might have been some time travel involved," he stammers.

Oh, everything makes sense now. "Well, that explains a little about the last mission."

"Don't make any mistake. Sam is as awesome as you think she is," he says, grabbing his wife's hand and eliciting a huge smile from her.

"There's still something that don't get. If you are a clone of me you don't have my… memories or anything. So how would being a time traveler actually help you?"

"Actually, they cloned me they also put a copy of your memories into my brain."

Ah… Wow. I'm pretty sure that I should ask as few questions about this as possible. I don't think it would be wise to know too much about your own future. "So you know everything that I do?" I ask.

"Probably not everything. I mean, I changed a lot of things in your life, and that's made you a different person that the one I was cloned from."

"What the hell did you change? What right do you have to go messing around in other people's lives?"

"Charlie… I mean your Charlie… would have died had I not 'messed around'. How is Charlie?" he asks a bit frantically, leaning forward.

"He's great… But how exactly would he have died?" I ask, just as frantic.

"You remember your gun thief? I was preventing a tragedy," he says, and I can tell that the words seem to hurt them.

I'm stunned. If Charlie died because of my guns, it's got to be my fault. How could I do that? How could I. Oh… "You remember it?"

He nods gravely, "And even though I've saved him now I still feel guilt about it. I still feel guilty about it nearly every day."

Captain Carter wraps her arm around him protectively.

"Listen," he continues, "I'm not you anymore, and you are not me. We're different people."

I nod, but I'm not exactly sure how different he is from me. After all, everything he's said so far sound a great deal like me.

"If you really are me, than how exactly did you end up married to your second in command?"

He smiles, "I was smart enough not to let her be my second in command. How is Sara? Are you still together?"

"Of course we are!" I exclaim, "Did we break up the other time?"

"I shouldn't have told you…" he stammers.

He really shouldn't have. It would have been much better if I didn't know my wife would have left me under other circumstances. But of course I understand why. I caused our son to die .I'd have left me to.

A thought occurs to me for the first time. "The baby?"

"What baby?" Sam asks, looking startled.

"The baby… Sarah's pregnant. She must have found out two or three months after the gun robbery." And then I realize, "So that means that if we broke up after Charlie… There would be no baby."

"There is… There is a whole other human being because of this? You have another kid?" he asks, stunned.

"I'm not going to say anything about the effect on the space-time continuum," Carter mutters under her breathe.

"I told you before that good things must have a good effect on the space-time continuum. And Jack and Sara having another baby has got to be a good thing. I mean, just look at how the first one turned out," Charlie says.

"This is a lot to take in. And now I'm understanding why you didn't want to come to the team night."

"I'm glad you know," Carter says, looking genuinely relieved.

"I suppose this is a bit of a big secret to keep. I take it we have lot of prophesies to look forward to?" I ask, looking at Charlie.

"I hope to cut the risk and increase the reward. But you're still in for a hell of a battle," Charlie says.

"Funny," I mutter, "And I was preparing for a war." They both crack into smiles. I've never really met someone who found my jokes funny, and now there are two of them. I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised about someone who is sort of me. But I'm a little surprised about my second in command finding my humor funny. They were definitely made for each other.

Note: Sam kept her last name, because she seems like she would.l


End file.
